Raised by Wolves
by Colt Mason
Summary: Taking place between the events of Assault and Command, a lone Wolf O'Donnell is hired by an infamous arms dealer to protect his son from a disgruntled Remnant militia and the Cornerian Secret Service. Little does he realize, he and his VIP have more in common than either of them would like.
1. Chapter 1

Wolf O'Donnell, was bored.

Nevermind, he wasn't just bored. His mind had slowly worn and atrophied to a point of near comatose stupor. No contracts, peaceful times, and flourishing economy had the mercenary laid bare. Minimal funds withered by a lack of smugglers looking to hide out at Sargasso, not to mention O'Donnell's drinking habits chipping away at his meager wallet. His days consisted of routine: wake up, shit, shower, shave, eat a meager breakfast, work out, fly his Wolfen, eat lunch, push around a couple of smugglers, have a cigar to calm down, work out again. Rinse and repeat, day in and day out.

But where was the feared, infamous merc's partners in crime?

Leon had been granted a solo contract by some fatass Fichinese Panda to assassinate a political rival, and Panther, Mr. Ladies' Man, had gone and got himself married to some curvy ex-military feline on Katina. Wolf hadn't heard a word from either of them for weeks now. He was certain one or both of them were dead.

The lupine sat in his cracked, brown leather chair, boots propped up on the desk in his sparsely decorated office. Only his chair, his desk, a Holovision, and a computer. No pictures, no decorations. Nothing. A wrap of Aquasian tobacco was grasped between his sharp, glistening canine fangs as he let out gentle clouds of smoke from his lips. He removed the cigar from his mouth, sprinkling some gray ashes on the ground. A small, steel sweeper drone appeared from a small cubby in the wall, quickly vacuuming up the residue before retreating into its hole. Wolf sighed. He hadn't felt this bored since his grueling station on Katina during the war. At least there he had his team to keep him company, soldiers to drink and gamble with. There were short bursts of fun, but this was ludicrous. Cooped up for days on end in his floating steel cell. Not even the short times he spends flying about, blasting asteroids in Meteo were enough to get his heart pumping. It was loneliness and emptiness he'd never felt before. The lupine's ears perked up as the gentle beeping of his comm broke the screeching silence. He hurried over, picking up the small earpiece and placing it to his head.

"Talk to me," he growled out intensely.

"Lord O'Donnell, there's a call waiting on your holovision."

Wolf's eye narrowed.

"Who is it?"

The voice on the other end of the line cracked nervously.

"You're not going to like it sir. FJC."

Wolf knew those initials. His heart began racing. He was looking for excitement; but excitement from anyone, _anyone_, but this guy. He reached for the remote for his Holovision, pressing it towards the direction of the display. It flickered to life, and there stood a tall, menacing, unnerving figure of infamous arms dealer Fenris J. Cornelius. Like Wolf, he was a lupine. And that's where the similarities ended. Fenris was a walking skeleton compared to O'Donnell. A lanky amalgamation of equal parts sleaze, conniving, and cunning. It was as if the worst attributes of himself and Leon had been tossed into a blender, mixed with a serious dose of psychosis for good measure, and molded to bring hatred to the holiest of saints.

Wolf didn't just hate Fenris.

He despised him.

His very presence on the holovision before him made Wolf's blood boil like the lava lakes of Solar. It took every fiber of Wolf's being to stand before him, gritting his teeth, digging his razor-sharp claws into his palms, mentally envisioning him beating the living daylights out of the boney wolf whilst throwing every conceivable combination of foul language at Fenris' bloody face, to not reach through the holovision, drag Fenris out by his throat, and gouge his eyes out of his head.

"Wolf O'Donnell. Dearest of all my friends."

Wolf choked on his rage. After he witnessed this man murder in cold blood and serve with ruthless dictation under Andross. After he left Wolf to die on various planets throughout the conflict. This rat bastard had the nerve, the gal to call Wolf a friend.

"What do you want, Fenris?" He asked dismissively. Wolf hadn't time for small talk. All he wanted to do now is fall into a bottle to forget that this scum of the galaxy didn't exist anymore. Lo and behold, every tap in every bar on every inhabited planet known to Lylat didn't have enough booze to drown out such a hair-curling, paint-peeling stench of this particular patch of filth.

"My associates inform me you've been rather bored."

Wolf crossed his arms.

"What's it to you?"

Fenris smirked.

"I also understand that the prosperous nature of the Lylatian economy hasn't trickled down to your rung of the system's market share."

Wolf sneered. He was getting impatient.

"Get to the point, already!" He barked at the monitor. Wolf's skeletal counterpart chuckled.

"So impatient! So eager! That's why I like you, Wolf." O'Donnell let out a growl just loud enough so that it resonated on the holovision's microphone. Fenris paused. "Alright then. The reason I called is that I have a job for you. It is of the utmost importance and in your current financial state, I can assure you you'll be handsomely rewarded for your services. Come down to my winter estate on Fichina and we can discuss this further. I've transferred the coordinates to your holophone. Hope to see you soon!" With that sickeningly sweet Saxon voice of his, he closed the communication. Blue lettering read: "Communication Terminated". Wolf turned away from the HV, steaming with rage. All he could do now was pack his things and make for Fichina.


	2. Chapter 2

Wolf's speeder hovered low over the snowy ground of mid-day Fichina. Fenris' home was somewhere in the Japanese Alps. Expensive real-estate for pretentious assholes. At least, that's how Wolf would have put it. It was a relatively sunny day for Fichina, but to any who knew that planet, sunny never really meant 'warm'. The road up to Fenris' mansion was a long, winding path of frozen over roadways. However, given the car wasn't on the ground, friction wasn't really an issue. Still, Wolf took it slow, half out of his own safety, half from simply not wanting to have to see Fenris. He knew it was inevitable he'd have to deal with the lanky lupine scum but prolonging a relaxing car ride was much preferred. It worked to his detriment, unfortunately; as the longer he took to arrive at Fenris' place, the longer it meant the urge to rip the Saxon sociopath's throat out would poke at his brain. He had to wait no longer, as he slowed to a stop outside of a gated, hillside mansion. It was a modern designed home. A flat, concrete roof that had been tarred to melt the snow. Two floors of glass windows divided by tan concrete. The interior had mostly white furniture with zebra carpeting beneath the kitchen table and living room. No accounting for taste, it seems. As Wolf approached the gate, he rolled down the window where a camera's electric eye gazed at him. The light beside the length of steel turned green and the gate parted elegantly down the middle. Wolf pulled up in front of the house where a portly walrus in a fine suit stood out front. Wolf opened the door of his car and marched up the stairs towards him. The walrus looked unfazed.

"Good day to you, Mr. O'Donnell." Wolf ignored him entirely as the butler opened the door for him. The lupine stepped inside, observing the spacious, modern construction of the house. Varnished hardwood floors of red oak led up to a marble hearth supporting an electric fireplace. Leather furniture set up on a shag white carpet adjacent to the holovision above the fireplace. A feline in a dark blue and white maid's outfit carried a plastic basket full of laundry across the room, paying no mind to Wolf, who stood in the living room. The walrus reappeared beside a wooden stairwell, supported by steel that lead up along a wall of jagged, multicolored stones. "This way, Mr. O'Donnell, sir." The walrus said. Wolf took a deep breath to brace himself for having to deal with Fenris. His heart thudded against his ribcage as his concrete shoes slowly carried him up the stairs with the butler leading him along his languid pace. A railing along a series of waist-high glass panes lined the upstairs corridor as the butler led Wolf to an office in the far-left corner of the mansion. The butler knocked a gloved hand against the walnut doors. A sickeningly sweet 'come in' was heard. Wolf attempted his damnedest to stifle a groan, feeling his teeth clamp against one another as he did so. The butler opened the door, revealing a trim figure staring out of the window at the snowy hills behind his massive cedar desk. Fenris turned around, smirking deviously, leering at Wolf with a piercing, icy blue gaze. O'Donnell felt himself shiver as the butler closed the door behind him. The trim wolf behind the desk spread his arms. Fenris' trench coat hung off his lanky limbs.

"Ah! Wolf O'Donnell! So pleased you could make it to my humble abode! Please, take a seat." Wolf said nothing, slowly setting himself down in one of the two chairs in front of Fenris' massive desk. He held up a boney finger as the dealer reached under his desk, pulling out a large, rotund bottle of an amber liquid. Wolf's expression softened, thankful almost. His trembling nerves of rage and hatred would soon be soothed by a haze of the finest liquor in the galaxy. The boney lupine sitting opposite to O'Donnell gently placed two cold, silver squares in the glass as he poured a generous amount of whiskey for the mercenary. Fenris slid the glass over. Wolf wasted no time, taking it in his hands and giving it a sniff, not for taste, but as a precaution. If he knew anyone who wouldn't hesitate to poison someone with a smile on their face, it'd be this shambling, fuzzy gray stack of bones in the chair in front of him. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Wolf sipped at his glass, feeling the warm, burning amber trail down his throat and numb his mouth. He looked up at Fenris with renewed confidence and calmer nerves. His slight tremble of unshakable anger had lifted off his back like a curse being dispelled.

Wolf loved his liquor.

If it were a woman, he would have married it. If it were a ship, he would have flown it. If it were a car, he would have driven it. If it were a gem, he would have stolen it.

Never mind that. Liquor _was _a woman. A woman he was familiar with. He slept with her every night. When her amber lips would wash a warm, burning bitterness down his throat, he could almost moan in immense pleasure. Her thick, beautiful frame would hug and caress his body, filling him with warmth, making him forget about tomorrow, and alive for a moment. She'd hold him, keep him warm in bed, smothered under her oak-colored fur that made him feel fuzzy and numb. But then, leave him cold, sick, and frustrated whenever she left him in the morning, always before he woke up, and never calling back first.

"Were you listening, Mr. O'Donnell?" Wolf looked up from his empty glass, in nearly complete ease.

"This is some good stuff here, Fenris. Where'd you get it?" The boney wolf stared flatly at his muscular counterpart. He rubbed his fuzzy forehead with lanky fingers.

"Alright… I'll go over it again." Wolf couldn't help but smirk, knowing he had just painted a vivid image of a curvy, tan-furred wolfess named whiskey sleeping with him while Fenris ranted to him about the job he had for him.

"So as you know, I'm a purveyor of weapons and munitions to very reputable organizations, and some dodgy ones. Recently, one of them was delivered a shipment of weapons that were, less than up to par. Quite frankly, they did not care to hear about my numerous explanations as to the poor quality of their armaments. Therefore, I'm looking to do some relocating of valuable assets for safekeeping." Wolf's eyes narrowed.

"Who do you have after you?" He inquired coldly. Fenris shrugged.

"Well there were these Venomian chaps in the Andross remnant militia who recently got a rather unruly shipment of hardware. And their complaints got so many likes on their social media that now CSS is looking into my perfectly legitimate business." Wolf snorted at his use of the phrase 'perfectly legitimate'. By Venomian standards, yes it was. Especially since most of the major cities on that planet were puppeted by crime syndicates the government hadn't yet cracked down on. By Cornerian standards, they'd use services much like Fenris', but they'd never tell the public that.

"So, where do I come in? Take out the CSS spook in charge of investigating you? Murder a couple hundred Venomian rebels? Rip out your organs and throw them into mount Fiji to save CSS the trouble?" Fenris chuckled at the last one.

"Certainly not. The Venomian Rebels I can simply avoid until the replacement shipment arrives. CSS I can simply approach to bribe my way out, but both of those things take time. Time which I do not have. So, I have to cover my assets." Wolf's smirk faltered. He didn't particularly like the use of the word 'assets'.

"What kind of assets?" Fenris held up a finger before picking up his comm.

"Oh Maxwell! Could you come into my office for a beat?" Wolf's heart froze as he heard that name.

_Maxwell? Maxwell? Who the hell is Maxwell?_

At that moment, a short, lanky canine opened the door, paying no mind to either Wolf or Fenris as he entered. The kid's eyes were icy blue. His headfur was long and white, brushed to the right and down around his ear. Maxwell was similarly lanky to Fenris, but with a more defined figure. He looked scrawny, but the muscle mass on him suggested he was more of whoever his mother was than his father. And whoever his mother was had to be a sturdy woman, especially if she had to deal with a creep like Fenris. Wolf looked nervously at the kid, not knowing exactly what to say or do. But the biggest and most harrowing of red flags came in Fenris' choice of language with the word 'assets'. The fact that this kid looked spoiled and pampered despite Fenris seeing his son as another pawn drove Wolf insane with rage. Wolf was by no means religious, but he prayed to the Goddess of Lylat above that whoever his mother was, was miles ahead of Fenris in the 'mental stability' department. O'Donnell gulped down his anxiety. Fenris gestured to the young wolf, who slowly looked up from his holophone. The trim adolescent cub slowly walked over beside Fenris as the taller wolf set a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. O'Donnell, this is my boy, Maxwell." Fenris looked down at his son. "Say hello, Maxwell…" He instructed. The boy shyly raised his hand.

"Hi…" His voice cracked nervously. Fenris chuckled.

"Clever, isn't he? So, your task, Mr. O'Donnell; is simple. While I take care of business with my associates in the Remnants, and make sure CSS stays off my trail, I need you to take Max to Macbeth where his mother is staying." Wolf crossed his arms, frowning in discontent.

"I ain't no babysitter, Fenris." Fenris smirked.

"I felt you might say that. But you do need a paycheck, do you not?" Wolf sighed.

"I did. What's the plan?" The trim wolf's smile widened.

"You are going to take one of my vehicles to Fujiwara Spaceport and board a shuttle to Macbeth. I'll be giving you both false IDs so your names don't turn up in the systems. I have been informed the FSDF is working with CSS to apprehend me or any of my accomplices. Both you and my boy here fall under that category." Fenris leaned forward with a cheeky smirk and a very obviously audible whisper. "_They have a very loose definition of the word 'accomplice'." _He said with a light chuckle. Wolf was unamused. "So once my dear wife has given confirmation that my son has safely arrived, I will transfer you your payment and then I will have a lovely drink in celebration, and I suggest you do the same." Fenris clasped his hands together. "Are we clear?" Wolf rolled his eye.

"Crystal… Let's get this over with." Fenris shot Wolf a condescending leer.

"Come now, I was hoping for more enthusiasm than that." Wolf sneered at his lanky counterpart.

"Well if the payment's right, there won't be a scratch on either of us." The annoyed mercenary could feel himself gag on that statement. Fenris howled out a brief laugh.

"That's the spirit! Now then! Off you go!" Fenris followed Wolf and Maxwell out to where a sleek, black sedan was hovering outside. It was certainly a pretentious car for a pretentious person. Jet black steel with a cream leather interior. Wolf got in the driver's seat while the walrus butler placed a suitcase in the trunk. He looked out the window of the car as he saw Fenris talking down to his son. O'Donnell's eyes narrowed as he watched his son nod slowly, really wanting to take off. Despite him not knowing anything about their relationship, Wolf couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the adolescent wolf. His father either beat the hell out of him or treated him like such a child that he couldn't stand to be around him. Wolf was certain it was one of the two. Given the lack of any sort of bruises on the boy, Wolf bet it was the latter. He watched as Fenris gave Max a hug, and he could tell from the side of the boy's face, it was a completely empty hug. An obligatory gesture simply because this lunatic was his 'father'. Wolf had a hard time believing Max was Fenris' spawn in the first place. Before long, the young wolf trotted over to the car, opening the passenger side door and getting into the car with Wolf.

"Let's get the hell out of here." His growing voice said somewhere between deep and young. Wolf couldn't help but smirk. He liked the kid already. Fenris waved as the sedan rolled away. The ride was silent for most of the way as the kid was on his holophone for a while. O'Donnell felt somewhat awkward. Given Max's earlier comment, something compelled Wolf to ask him more.

"So…" The lupine merc began slowly "your old man, is he uh…" Max looked up from his phone.

"What?" Kids these days.

"Your old man, is he…?" Max looked back down at his phone.

"A douchebag. I hate him." Wolf snorted.

_ Tell me how you really feel, kid._ He thought to himself.

"Rich guy like him? I never would have guessed." Wolf spat, his words slathered in sarcasm like butter on toast.

"What's it to you?" Wolf remained stoic through his partially electronic gaze.

"Just wondering." Wolf lied. He wanted to know if the single person he hated most in this system was as terrible of a father as he was as a military commander. Given this kid's general temperament, though it may be adolescence talking, Fenris hadn't changed a bit since the Lylat Wars.

"Did you know him or something?" Wolf bit his tongue. He wanted to rant to this kid, pull over and scream about all the times he'd been screwed over by the Zonesian lump of filth this poor child called his father. He was ready to turn the car around, blast through the fence and run Fenris over with his own car while his son watched so then he could see if Max hated his dad as much as he said he did. But now Wolf was just daydreaming.

"You could say that." Wolf seethed, already regretting bringing up Fenris again. Only now, he couldn't have a drink to wash the thought of him away, not only because he was working for him, but his son was in the car, and if he wanted a chance at getting through Fichina spaceport security, he needed to be thinking clearly.

"Is that why he hired you?" Now this kid was getting on his nerves. O'Donnell growled slightly.

"Drop it, kid." He expected Max to straighten out, but instead, the young lupine looked at his older counterpart with a raised eyebrow.

"No, you brought him up, so now I want to know. I've seen a lot of guys like you come to the house. I know what you're about, man." Wolf snapped and flashed a row of threatening canines at the younger wolf.

"I said _shut up!_" Max got the message, but he remained unfazed. Max slowly sat back in his chair, as Wolf relaxed, letting his lip uncurl and his hands loosen on the steering wheel. Max continued glancing at Wolf every now and then, but not in annoyance, he was scanning over the mercenary. A purple laser proof coat, a modified digital eye, a utility belt and a real heavy blaster pistol holstered on the side. This guy was some kind of space cowboy to Max. It was kind of cool seeing him up close, even if he is a bit of a jerk.

Wolf's hands gripped the steering wheel, the sedan kicking up dusts of snow behind him as some clouds began to roll in. Parked in a small clearing between some trees was a Fichinese police cruiser. Sleek white and black chrome with two LEDs on the roof. The previous conversation had put Wolf in a more frustrated mood than he'd been in in the past few months. His foot was glued to the gas pedal as the pads on his hands gently squeaked against the leather on the wheel. Thoughts of violence and reckless boozing swirled around in his mind. All he wanted to do was get in a fight and then chug a whiskey to calm down. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. He needed this job, and he was going to wind up taking it out on this kid if something didn't happen soon. And that's when red and blue lights flashed behind him. Wolf's heart leapt from his chest. His eyes darted down to the speedometer. It read 130 kilometers an hour. He slapped a hand against the steering wheel.

"Dammit! God dammit! Son of a bitch!" Wolf spat as he pulled off to the side. He took a deep breath. The sudden outburst surprised Max. If he wasn't nervous before, he certainly was now. Wolf shook his head, frustrated; pulling his false ID from his wallet. It was only now he had the time to look at the name Fenris had picked.

_Rodger McFullen? Are you kidding me? _He frowned in annoyance as he reached past Max for the glove box, pulling out a slip of paper with Kanji neatly typed onto it. It looked like a registration. Wolf had forgotten most of his Japanese from the Lylat Wars. A brown-furred sable in a police uniform exited the vehicle, slowly walking up to the side of the luxury sedan. Wolf's heart pounded, he prayed for all of Lylat to just let him off with a warning. The officer stepped up to the dark, tinted window as it slowly rolled down like a reverse curtain, revealing Wolf and Max sitting there in the vehicle. The officer uttered something in Japanese, which Wolf guessed was 'license and registration, please.' The officer shook his head, probably thinking: _damn foreigners. _He spoke the best English he possibly could.

"Do you know how fast you go?" Wolf shrugged, not wanting to open his mouth, because he figured whatever he said would lead to a fight.

"You go 130 kilometer. Limit is 100."

"Sorry, officer." That was all Wolf managed to say. Max glanced up from his phone, looking at the cop. He had a standard blue collared shirt and black tie. But for whatever reason, he was clad in some rather hefty body armor. The cub shifted nervously, something was up. The cop reached for Wolf's ID with his left hand, while his right reached behind his back. Max' eyes went wide, he'd seen this in the movies. His heart raced. He thought Wolf's whole space-cowboy look was cool, but would he have to see him kill a man right in front of him? As soon as Max saw what looked to be the handle of a handgun, his question was answered.

"_Watch out!_" His voice cracked as he yelled. Wolf's natural eye went wide as it darted towards the officer's other hand. Wolf's right arm instinctively reached for his blaster, drawing it from the leather and pointing the barrel at the sable. The officer pulled the trigger of his peashooter. The small dart of laser cracked through the side of the car. The heat from the tiny blast whizzing past Max' arms, barely missing him. A loud crack of laser fire exploded from the barrel of Wolf's heavy handgun. The massive caliber of plasma tore through the officer's throat, splatting flecks of blood on Wolf and the side of the car. He tossed his ID on the dash and floored the gas, leaving a burnt patch in the snow as the car soared away.

Wolf swore continuously, heart racing. Whoever that cop was, he was paid by someone, and that someone was going to be very upset their cop was dead. Max wrapped himself in his own arms, hyperventilating profusely and shivering in terror. He'd nearly been killed, and Wolf had saved his life, although having to watch a man's throat be melted by blaster fire made him feel like he'd just ate a spoonful of marmite. The interior of the car was dotted by flecks of blood, as were some of his savior's clothes.

Max was terrified.

He'd seen mercenaries with scars that could make surgeons gag; the worst horror movies and the most violent of video games; the grossest, most disgusting, most abhorrent websites on the Lylatian Database. But seeing it happen right before his very eyes, without the filter of a screen, with the heat of a blaster nearly piercing his chest and sitting in the car with the man who just shot a cop in the throat made his bones quiver and his heart chill. Max was beyond terrified, he was nearly traumatized.

Wolf glanced intermittently at the scared cub, breath quick, but steady. This was the kind of excitement the lupine was looking for. Nearly all of his frustrations were exercised by that one simple act. He hadn't even had time to consider how Max might have felt after that. He looked over at the young wolf, scanning him with his e-patch, finding no apparent injuries.

"You okay?" Wolf asked between quick breaths and a racing pulse. Max nodded quickly, still shivering in his seat. O'Donnell reached for his comm, commanding it to dial for Fenris. Again, Wolf was subjected to the sickening sweetness of the Saxon's voice.

"Hello!" His voice sang out.

"Fenris, we've got a problem." Fenris stood by the side of his desk, casually sipping on a glass of that delicious whiskey he'd offered Wolf earlier.

"Oh I love solving problems. Do tell!"

Wolf shook his head, frustrated.

"A cop just tried to take a shot at us. He's on the side of the road on route 38 southbound, minus one throat. The kid and I are fine, but the car's got blood and blast points all over it."

Fenris made his way over to his desk, bringing up a bright blue display in front of a holographic keyboard.

"You're about 5 kilometers away from a nearby rest stop. There's a deep river close to it, so dispose of the vehicle there and I'll have a replacement for you on the way."

Wolf nodded. As much as he hated Fenris, he could certainly be helpful when he wanted to be.

"Roger that, out." He flicked his small plastic earpiece closed and stuffed it back in his coat pocket. Max scanned Wolf who seemed relatively unfazed on the outside. Questions swirled around in the adolescent wolf's mind. _Who was this guy? How is he so relaxed? It's creeping me out._ Max had every reason to be. He never expected his day to take this kind of turn. Wolf kept his eye on the road, scanning for the river Fenris was referring to. Just beyond the exit sign, right before the rest stop, was the aforementioned river. Wolf pulled over, slowly navigating through the trees over to the riverside. "Get out." He commanded to Max. The young wolf shook his head, exiting the vehicle and stepping away from the mercenary as he worked. Wolf shifted the car into neutral and left the vehicle. He stepped around to the back of the car and gestured for Max to come over. He hesitantly padded through the snow over to the bumper of the car, standing beside wolf as he placed his hands on the back. "On three, ready?" Wolf counted aloud, and on three, they shoved the car down the drifts of snow into the chilly running water. The car's hover jets slowly gave out as the engine was smothered in liquid. Slowly, the silhouette of the car grew faint until it could no longer be seen. Wolf smirked to himself, brushing the snow from his hands. He glanced over to his younger counterpart who stood shivering in the cold. "Come on, let's get something to eat." Wolf started back through the woods over to the road. Max stood there for a moment, teeth gently chattering. Wolf turned around, his purple eye and blue e-patch gleaming at him through the slowly depleting sunlight. Max shook his head and slowly trotted after him.


	3. Chapter 3

The two sat in a booth in a small restaurant beside a recharge station. Fenris said the new car should be there in a half hour or so, which gave Wolf ample time to unwind. While Max waited for the fries to come out, Wolf had time for a smoke to relax his nerves. All in all, Wolf was having a pretty good day. The same couldn't be said for Max. He stared despondently at the table, foot tapping nervously against the tile floor. Over the course of the last hour or so, he'd watched his escort gun down a police officer at point blank range and dispose of the evidence not half a mile from where he currently sat. Now they're sitting in a diner like nothing happened, and even more disturbing, Wolf acting like it never happened. Wolf picked up a French fry and chomped it down before picking up another.

"French fry?" Max shook his head. How could Wolf possibly think about eating in a time like this? O'Donnell's eye narrowed as he observed Max's face. He'd seen that look a hundred times over a hundred battles. Max learning how to cope with seeing death up close. Wolf knew the boy was young, but he knew even better that 12 years old was no time to be anywhere near that close to death.

"What's wrong?" He knew exactly what's wrong. Max was scared beyond rational thought, not just from nearly being killed and being an accomplice of homicide, but the fact that Wolf was taking it so calmly. He knew that his own steady nerves when it came to killing made Max not only afraid of being killed, but he was afraid of Wolf. O'Donnell frowned slightly. It seemed fear was the only thing he could generate, and having to see it in the face of this poor boy made his heart ache with sympathy. He leaned forward, getting a little closer to Max. "Kid… look at me. I'm not going to hurt you." Max slowly looked up, tears welling in the boy's eyes. Wolf choked. The boy was terrified of him, and getting this close to him wasn't helping in the slightest. But Wolf knew this had to be done. "Listen. I know you're scared. But I am not here to hurt you. If I wasn't here, he would have killed you. I saved your life, and I'll do it again and again if I have to. I've seen a lot of kids not much older than you fight in a war. The last thing I want is to have to watch anyone younger than them go through the same thing. I will do whatever I can do to make sure you get to Macbeth alive. You understand?" Maxwell wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling.  
"Okay…" He stammered. Wolf sat back, sliding the plate of French fries to the younger lupine. He hesitantly reached for one, and ate it. After the first one, Max picked up the pace. O'Donnell smiled, satisfied with himself. He knew after nerves were out of the way, the stomach could finally remind someone how hungry they were. Suddenly, Wolf's comm buzzed in his pocket. He flipped it open and held it up to his ear.

"Talk to me."

An electronic voice replied.

"Your rental vehicle has arrived." It hung up. Wolf sat up in the booth, spotting a crane in a fine suit standing outside of the diner beside a fine sedan. Wolf stood up from the booth, gathering the tray.

"Ride's here, kid. Let's move." Max slid out from his seat, following Wolf outside. The replacement car was basically the same as the first one. Chrome black exterior, tan leather interior. Wolf handed the Crane a wad of Yen as a tip, who nodded silently, returning to the car his coworker was parked in. The rental employees drove off, leaving Wolf and Max in their car. Wolf wasted no time getting back on the road. He had a couple hours to get to the spaceport, so even with their setback, the two were still on time. With some fries in him, Max could finally start to relax. He pulled out a set of wireless earbuds and connected them to his holophone. Wolf glanced at him as he did so. His finely-tuned lupine ears perked up, hearing something very familiar growing from the younger wolf's ears. It sounded like distorted guitars and gruff, angry yelling. It reminded him of bottles of whiskey and fellow soldiers moshing in the barracks after taking Fichina. Those were some good memories, and it made Wolf curious to know what the song of those memories were. "Hey kid." Max removed the earphone closest to Wolf. "What are you listening to?" Max shrugged.

"Strength beyond Strength?" Wolf glanced over, his good eye lighting up before his head tilted back to laugh.

"Damage Panzer? Really?"

Max raised an eyebrow at Wolf as he laughed aloud.

"You listen to Damage Panzer?"

"Hell yeah I listen to Damage Panzer!" Wolf messed with the display on the dashboard, bringing up the audio menu. "Put it on speaker, let's hear it!" Max smirked, tapping on his phone. A sound chimed on as the pounding drums and chugging guitars faded in. Wolf reached for the volume, cranking it up as the noise filled the car, shaking the glass and vibrating the seats. "Hell yeah. Good stuff kid! Good stuff!" The two shook their heads to the music, screaming along with the powerful, growling vocals. The next track came on, _Becoming_. Wolf loved this one. His head jerking back and forth as the guitar screamed in the background. The chorus came on, Wolf let out a growling yell, matching the power and intensity of the record. Max' eyes grew wide as he heard Wolf scream on key with the singer.

"Woah…" Max breathed out, looking at Wolf in awe. He glanced over at Max' expression, letting out a laugh.

"What? I can sing. I'm a wolf, wolves can sing."

"Like... I didn't know like… you could do that. That's like… awesome." The adolescent's overuse of the word 'like' let O'Donnell know he was truly impressed. It gave Wolf a good feeling, impressing the kid. "Like… you could have replaced Phil after he left." Wolf shook his head.

"Listen kid, I'm good. I'm not that good."

"You sounded like it!"

"I wouldn't have been a pilot if I was as good as him."

"Maybe no one told you before."

Wolf thought about that one. Peppy gave him a hard time growing up for listening to his music too loud. James scolded him for blasting his music in his dorm at the academy. Venomian officers had picked several fights with him for listening to his music too loud. Maybe the kid was right. The two skipped around through Max' phone. Wolf found himself impressed with the kid's good selection of music. There were a few bickering points, however.

"What do you mean Destroyer is 'average'?" Max said, somewhat outraged.

"They are! His own band said his 'gorilla vocals' are shit!"

"He _is _a gorilla!" Wolf rolled his eye.

"My point exactly! And that Simone and Garfield cover was ridiculous!"

"You are out of your mind! That cover was awesome! A lot better than those old farts ever did." Wolf sneered at the younger wolf.

"Old farts? I may not like them, but they were some of the greatest lyricists in the history of Lylat!"

"Great lyrics doesn't mean they're good singers! Bo Daniels couldn't sing but wrote great songs. So did Rumbledog!" O'Donnell was a bit amazed at the broad swath of musical knowledge Max had about him. He supposed the boy immersing himself in art was the only thing keeping him from burning his rich asshole father's house down.

"The hell do you know about the Boss?" Wolf asked, wanting to press further on the kid's knowledge. Max stared back at Wolf, flatly.

"He recorded the entire Nebraska album at his own home with his own instruments, and when he brought it to the Midwest Band, the studio felt that the actual heart and haunt of the original demo tracks were lacking with the full band and studio, so the actual release of the Nebraska album were the demos he recorded at his house." Wolf raised an eyebrow at him. How could he come back from that? He couldn't. This kid knew more about music than anyone he'd ever known before.

"Shit, you've got me on that, kid." Wolf rolled down the window slightly and dug a cigar from his coat pocket, holding up a steel lighter to the end before blowing a few puffs of smoke out of the window. Max just stared at him. Wolf still scared him quite a bit, but Max couldn't help but also find him kind of cool. They both had the same taste in music, at least. He was sitting here in his car, listening to heavy metal, blaster pistol on his side and a cigar in his mouth. Wolf felt the kid's young eyes on him. He looked over at him. "What?" He asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Can I have a smoke?" Wolf nearly choked on his cigar, trying his best not to laugh.

"No, kid."

"Why not?" Max spoke up.

"It's bad for you." Wolf retorted dismissively.

"What kind of an excuse is that?"

"I'm not having this discussion with you kid!"

"You're not my dad! I thought we were cool!"

Wolf rolled his eye.

"We're not 'cool'. You're the VIP, I'm just an escort."

Max shot Wolf a skeptical glance.

"I'm a VIP?"

Wolf shrugged.

"Technically, yes. Escort missions for live cargo usually mark the package in question as a 'VIP' or 'Person of Interest'."

Max eyes went wide.

"Cool…" He breathed out. Wolf smirked. He had to admit, despite the rocky start, the kid was alright by him. Max' head whipped back over to him. "Seriously though, can't I just try it once? Please?" Wolf sighed, shaking his head.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was setting as Wolf's hovercar pulled up to a stop in front of the spaceport terminal. Wolf and Max exited the vehicle and gathered their bags. Wolf pulled out his duffel bag and handed Max his suitcase. He stepped up to the front desk and checked their bags in. A coyote in a fine suit sat on the steel bench beside the window across from check-in, a blue holotablet in his hands as he read the news. A pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes as he looked up at Wolf and Max as they made their way towards the security line. His hand reached up, pressing against his tall, pointy, canine ear.  
"Almighty, this is Abraham. Lucifer has Isaac in his possession." There was a pause before a feminine voice responded.  
"Roger that, Abraham. Keep them in your sights. Do not engage until you are in neutral space." The coyote stood up, making his way towards the security gate.

"I'm on it, over." He made his way over to the line, removing his shades to reveal his empty, emotionless, gray eyes. Looking at him, one would have thought he was blind. But the coyote was far from it. His eyes trailed O'Donnell and Max from their point in the security line through the crowds of people. The coyote could count the hairs on Wolf's spiky, white mohawk. He could spot the wrinkles on his coat where blaster shots had charred him. He could read the serial number on Wolf's silver E-patch. Abraham straightened his tie, briefcase in hand, and slowly, casually made his way through the security line. Wolf and Max stepped up to the security terminal. Wolf removed his E-patch to pass through the scanner while handing his guard his false ID. He turned around to see a look of dread plastered on Max' face.  
"What's wrong, kid?" He asked, knowing full well what the cub would say next.  
"I-I don't have it." Wolf gulped. The crowd in line was looking impatient, and so was the security guard.  
"You what?" Without warning, Max started sobbing, whipping the tears from his eyes, seemingly like he'd never cried before. The lupine surmised he must've left it in the car they dumped in the river. Wolf looked at the guard, mouth open, trying to think of a quick excuse. But the guard just rolled his eyes and gestured for the two of them to move along. Wolf thanked him quickly and led Max through the metal detector, picking up their carry-ons and moving on. Wolf looked down at the cub, who was acting like it never happened. O'Donnell chuckled.

"Nice job, kid."

Max smirked, satisfied with his fine acting. The two made their way to their gate, walking down the path to the spacecraft. Wolf was certain that if Fenris had sent him on a mission alone, he'd be riding on the underside of this craft like a Macbethian Oiler bum on a freight train. But since the scumbag's dearest spawn was with him, the arms dealer spared no expense. Their tickets were first class on a Fichinese space liner.

Among various other things, Fichina was famous for their first-class space liners.

Wolf blinked to clear his watery eyes at the near blinding brightness and cleanliness of the cabin. Comfortable, private seating with sound proofed plastic walls and silk sheets on reclining beds. Personal coolers with bottled water, snacks, and Fichinese wine built elegantly into the walls of the aircraft's construction. 40-inch holovisions with headphones and a wide selection of movies and games.

Max was thrilled.

Despite his cushioned living, Max marveled at how gorgeous the aircraft was. The isles were lined with businessmen and diplomats from all over Corneria. Shuffling along, packing their carry-ons in the overhead compartments. Titanian Sultans, Cornerian Ministers, Macbethian Businessmen, Venomian Diplomats. All the best people got all the best treatment.

And it made Wolf sick.

As much as he would have loved to kick back, relax, and live the high life; he couldn't help but think of the crowds of people around him as nothing more than soulless, heartless suits wandering a plastic playhouse straight out of a Saturday morning toy advertisement. Titanian warlords, Cornerian liars, Macbethian robber barons, Venomian backstabbers. All the worst people got all the best treatment.  
Wolf looked down the aisle, spotting his cabin and Max's adjacent to it. He slid the door open, stepping in to see a brilliant view of the lights dotting the city past the runway. He looked at his door, finding a small latch that slid open, revealing a hole big enough for him to see through. His ears perked up as Max opened his window.

"Hey! Wolf! This is great!"

Wolf smirked at Max' excitement.

"I know kid. Rest up while you can. We've got a long flight to Macbeth." Max nodded, slowly closing his window. Wolf thought for a second, pulling out his holophone and going over to Max' room. "Hey kid." Max window opened again.

"Sup?" He said casually.

"Listen, if you need to move around, take a leak, get a drink, just let me know first." Max raised an eyebrow at Wolf.

"Are you seriously gonna follow me to the bathroom?"

Wolf rolled his eye.

"Remember you almost got shot?"

Max' ears fell.

"Y-yeah. That makes sense…" The cub took Wolf's phone and entered in his number.

"Alright. Rest up, I'll be across from you." Wolf retreated to his cabin and buckled in. At that moment, the display turned on and began relaying safety instructions in Japanese. He reached for his remote, fiddling with the settings until he found English subtitles. The spaceship soared off the runway, thrusters kicking in making the cabin vibrate as it broke through the atmosphere. Before long, the rattling subsided into calm, serene space for parsecs around. Wolf settled in, and almost immediately after take-off, Wolf's phone vibrated in his pocket. His good eye grew wide with excitement.

Wolf? Was that you up there?

Leon? The hell are you doing?

I could ask you the same question.

Wolf rolled his eye.

I'm on an escort mission. I gotta get Fenris' kid to Macbeth.

My condolences.

The lupine chuckled. It was nice to have a sympathetic soul for his situation.

I'm trying to kill that skinny leopard up front. The one the panda paid me to kill.

Wolf's heart pounded. He was so ready to help his friend kill, he almost completely forgot he was already on a mission.

Need any help?

Nah. I have my cloak.

He frowned. Leon was going to have a lot more fun than he was.

Btw, there's some CSS spook on this craft.

O'Donnell smirked. Guess he was going to have some fun after all.

What does he look like?

A long list of details lined up on his screen.

Coyote, 5' 9", tan fur, big ears, solid black suit, white shirt, blue tie, always wearing those piece of shit sunglasses

I'll keep a lookout. Thanks.

A part of Wolf was excited, ready to kick this slimy spook's ass. The other was genuinely concerned for the kid's safety. He didn't know who the guy was. But he knows what he was doing. They were in neutral space, so if anything happened, they couldn't blame Corneria for it. Classic CSS, always hiding their dirty laundry under mountains of dark matter. Wolf gulped, the excitement he'd been looking for was setting back in. He shifted in his seat, waiting for an opportunity to either help Leon with his work, or get some action in himself. His phone vibrated once again, and once he read the message, he knew which one would come first.

Gotta take a leak

The lupine smirked, climbing out of his cabin as Max did the same. The two made their way down the isle past a wider space where the ministers, liars; sultans, warlords; diplomats, backstabbers; chatted over drinks and cigars. Telling stories of great and poor hotel service, fine dining mishaps and triumphs, and ladies of the evening wanting to see what a date with power felt and tasted like. Max paused, curiously looking over at the fine suits and broad cones on glass stems filled with colored liquids. Wolf looked down as he saw the younger lupine pause. A hand quickly patted his shoulder, half wanting him to get a move on, the other not wanting the young wolf to get any ideas. The last thing he wanted was this kid to become another soulless scumbag, just like _them_.

"Keep moving, kid." Wolf growled softly. A hint of disgust tinging his throat as he gently pushed him away from the bar section. Max heard that in his throat. He felt the same when describing his father. He recalled flights before, in which his dad had taken him to Filander with these high society types. Their stories were boring, their kids were spoiled, and they were entitled, just like his father. His father would tell stories of being a brave Venomian commander during the war. Max was too young to remember much of it, and for the first half he hadn't even been born yet. But from what his father would tell him, the war was something out of a story book. A clean tale of fighting and dying where his father was some destined savior of his humble troops. He recalled vaguely about his father mentioning Wolf on occasion. Of course, their exchange during their drive earlier made him think twice about asking him anything else. Wolf waited patiently by the bathroom door as Max entered. It was spacious as far as an airline bathroom went. Even to the point where there was a shower on the plane. Despite having traveled business class with his father, not even they had a shower in that section. Wolf stood outside, waiting patiently for Max to finish up. But then, from out of the rows of plastic walls emerged a mid-sized coyote in a suit and shades. Wolf stared, watching him walk towards the bathroom. The coyote stopped, checking the time on his watch and looking at Wolf.  
"That your kid in there?" He asked in a monotone voice. Wolf nodded silently, his heart pounding against his chest. This was the man he was going to drag in there and kill. And the two were just standing there, idly chatting like perfect strangers.

"Yeah." Wolf said finally. "Lotta creeps on this flight. You never know." The coyote raised his eyebrow.

"You're in first class on the best Fichinese space liner in the galaxy. What's there to worry about?" The coyote's tone sounded lazy, but Wolf knew better than to judge someone's ability to fight on their voice.

"Well, let's just say I don't trust suits." The coyote's eyes narrowed behind his thin, square glasses. He shrugged.

"Whatever you say." Just then, the door opened as Max stood, looking up at Wolf. His eyes trailed over to the suited coyote standing in front of his bodyguard. The coyote looked down at the young wolf. The agent looked back at Wolf. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but Wolf quickly grabbed the agent by the collar and shoved him into the bathroom. Max fell to the side as Wolf stepped in, closing the bathroom door and locking it.

"Max! Stay behind me!" He looked up as the coyote charged at him. A glowing blue blade of plasma jutting from the side of the agent's watch. The coyote lunged at wolf. Wolf stepped back, feeling the heat from the energy waft past his chest, barely missing him. He lunged again. Wolf felt his back against the door as Max stood in the corner, eyes wide as the coyote attempted to stab wolf. The strong lupine caught the coyote's forearm. The tan-furred canine had most of his body concealed by silk and fabric, but he had some strength under that fine Katinese suit. Wolf gritted his teeth as the plasma was forced closer and closer to his good eye. The blade was so close, he could feel the short fur on his muzzle singe. Wolf moved his head to the side and let the plasma embed itself in the steel door. Wolf ducked down, using the door as leverage to shove the coyote back. The coyote widened his stance, raising his arm and jabbing the plasma into Wolf's back. He roared out in pain, feeling the skin on his back ooze and burn. Wolf's arm reached up, forcing the coyote's blade out of him. Blood dribbling from the back of his coat as he wrapped his hand around the tan canine's wrist, grasping the coyote's shoulder and slamming his head against the opposite wall. The coyote shook his head, dazed, but not down. His foot snapped to the side, making Wolf's knee pop with a sickening crack. Wolf stumbled back, exclaiming in pain as he tried to straighten his knee. The agent raised his arms, throwing quick, calculated jabs at Wolf. O'Donnell's guard diverted his first two punches. The third, Wolf ducked under, launching an uppercut at the coyote's jaw, his head rocking backward. Wolf quickly spun into a kick, sending his leather heel into the silk stomach of the agent. The agent let out a grunt. He was about to recover, but Wolf had gotten some ground, and rushed in for the attack, his hand grasping the agent's tie, yanking his head forward and cracking his left elbow on the side of the coyote's head. The force from the blow splitting the canine's brow as blood trickled down the side of his forehead. The dazed agent stumbled over to the sink. Wolf stepped up, teeth gritted and purple eye blazing, grasped the back of the coyote's head, bashing it against the mirror as it shattered into huge, silver shards. The agent stumbled to the ground, head throbbing as blood splattered down his forehead. He slowly began to crawl away. Wolf turned him over, pulling him up by the tie and crashing his fist against the coyote's muzzle as blood splattered from his nose, staining Wolf's leather gloves. Wolf didn't let go. He wanted to kill this CSS swine, tear his throat out with his bare hands and gouge his eyes out.

Max, meanwhile, looked on in horror. His heart pounding as he watched the man who saved his life mercilessly pummel this poor canine to an absolute pulp. Listening to bones crack and flesh bruise. Seeing blood fly and splatter as Wolf crashed his fists against the coyote's face, again and again and again. Finally, the coyote stopped struggling, the canine's breath coming out ragged as his bloodied face looked up helplessly at Wolf. It was then the thought crossed his mind where he realized there was a 12-year-old sitting in the room, watching him nearly murder a CSS agent. Wolf looked down at the bleeding face of the coyote, the dazed, empty expression on his eyes as he huffed out pained breaths, attempting to weakly bat Wolf's hand away. The lupine slowly stood up. That spook wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.  
"You alright kid?"

Max panted, terrified of what had just transpired. His gaze shifting between the blood-flecked wolf, and the knocked-out, bloody face of the CSS agent. Before the adolescent wolf could reply, there was a loud banging on the door and some very angry Japanese being shouted. Wolf discerned it was something to the tune of: 'Open this door right now or we'll beat the hell out of you'. They were trapped in the bathroom. Wolf had no other choice but to make a call. He flicked out his comm, pressing it to his ear.

"Leon! I'm stuck in the bathroom and security is onto me. I need a distraction."

The green, scaled reptile stood with his blade in the back of an engineer, staring at the fuses in the maintenance bay with a devilish smirk.

"Say no more." A moment later, all the lights went out. Passengers looked around, hearts racing, worried they'd have to abandon their cozy ship and make an undue stop at whichever planet was nearest. Wolf smirked, looking up at the now darkened florescent tubes.

"My man." He said softly before hanging up. Leon, feeling satisfied he was able to help, recloaked himself and made his way toward his own target.

Security pounded on the door a moment later, and then the sound of keys being placed into the lock was heard. Wolf quickly tapped a hand to his E-Patch. "Night Mode." He said quickly. Wolf closed his good eye. The rest of his vision filling in with a green filter, illuminating the pitch-black bathroom. The sound of the deadbolt in the door sliding inward signaled it was time for another fight. "Max. Over behind me." Max got up, slowly walking through the darkness. Wolf reached for his arm, tugging the young wolf over behind him. The first security guard opened the door. His flashlight shining downward as Wolf leapt up, sending the steel toe of his boot into the guard's nose. The second guard leapt forward with a steel baton with a blue glow about the tip. Wolf narrowly dodged to the side, grasping the guard's wrist with his left hand while his right jammed the guard's shoulder, slamming his face against the wall. Wolf's boot slammed against the guard's knee with a sickening pop, only for him to place the guard's arm over his shoulder, flinging him over. The guard landed on the ground with a thud. Wolf crashed a fist into the guard's forehead. Eyebrow splitting and the guard's eyes rolled up into his head. Max watched as Wolf fought his way through, half in terror, half in excitement. Watching Wolf do his job was cooler than any Kung-Fu film. _Bruce Lee doesn't have shit on this guy! _ The young wolf thought excitedly. Wolf caught the adolescent lupine gazing at him in awe. O'Donnell couldn't help but smirk. That is until the blue glow of a baton sent a shock through his body as the snaps of arcing volts pierced his bones. The lupine slowly turned as a giant bear in an ill-fitting uniform stood with his stun baton jabbed into Wolf's back. _Jesus! This guy is huge! _The bear guard's head nearly scraped the ceiling of the craft. Wolf wondered how he even fit on the ship in the first place. Wolf felt his limbs grow weak, arms and knees trembling with each second. He gritted his teeth as his E-patch began to distort from the amps of electricity traveling through him. Until suddenly, the baton fell from the bear's hand. Wolf collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. He looked up at the massive ursine as his E-patch slowly flickered back to life. A stream of blood trickled from the bear's mouth as he collapsed to the ground. A green lizard appeared seemingly out of thin air, wiping his blade clean before placing it back in his belt. A grin crawled across Wolf's muzzle as Max looked at the chameleon with a scared shudder. His lanky figure reminded him so much of his father it startled him to stare. Wolf stood up, extending his hand to the lizard.  
"You get your job done?"

Leon nodded.  
"I always do. Come on. I have a plan."

Wolf nodded, picking up the bear's stun baton.  
"Lead the way." Wolf gestured for Max to follow. The young wolf quickly padded behind the mercenary as his lizard friend guided him down the hallway. Passengers looked on at them, cowering in their seats as the mercenaries passed by. Two more guards appeared at the end of the hall. Leon pulled out a tiny silver blade and threw it at the first guard. The small piece of steel embedded itself in the guard's throat as Leon charged forward, a blade jutting out from his wrist as he plunged it into the first guard's chest, tugging him downward as Wolf dashed forward, tossing his baton at the next guard in line, who instinctively attempted to catch it. O'Donnell leapt up over Leon sending his foot against the guard's chest. The guard stumbled through the doorway, landing on his back. Wolf charged forward, curling his hand into a fist and crushing the guard's nose between his knuckles and the floor. Leon stood, getting up and passing Wolf, gesturing for him to follow. Wolf looked back as a stunned Max ran up behind him. Leon lead them to the back of the ship where the elevator and stairwell to the lower levels were. The three clomped quickly down the stairs to a steel door that read 'employees only'. The chameleon flicked out his holophone, tapping it against the door's number pad. It turned green for a moment before sliding open. In the center was a door to the engine room. On either side of the engine room, a set of life shuttles. Wolf smirked at the first shuttle on the right, which Leon had already readied.  
"How long have you been planning this?" Wolf asked the lizard as he climbed into the craft.

"Two weeks." The lizard said plainly as Max and Wolf entered the craft. Leon entered, the door shutting behind them as Wolf manned the controls.  
"Buckle in." He commanded. Max got into one of the seats and strapped in as Leon sat beside Wolf and did the same.  
"Nearest planet is Katina. I have a safehouse set up in San Paula." The chameleon rasped, flicking a few switches. There was a hissing sound, and then a lurch as the escape pod rocketed away from the luxury spacecraft. Leon steered the ship vaguely in the direction of the tan planet off in the distance.  
"This thing handles like a brick with wings." Wolf commented frustratedly as he acted as his lizard companion's co-pilot.  
"True, but it's the best we got. It'll be another few hours before we get to Katina. Keep this hunk of junk on course, I gotta make a call." Wolf nodded, reaching for the stiff controls.  
"Max." Wolf said softly. "You alright kid?"

The adolescent wolf looked up at the back of the tall lupine's chair.

"I'm okay…" He said in a small, timid voice, rubbing his shoulders uneasily. Wolf glanced back him, his purple eye shown with a hint of sympathy. That kid had been through a lot that day. Almost getting shot, stabbed, electrocuted. Of course, Wolf had had two out of three of those things happen to him on this day alone. He leaned forward, wincing as he remembered the open wound in his back. Leon exited the restroom, looking up at Wolf, who had already taken his coat off. The chameleon's scaled green eyes glanced at the splotch of red wetness on wolf's white undershirt.  
"You're bleeding…" Leon said plainly. Wolf huffed out a chuckle.

"Fuckin' watch blades." The lizard shook his head, annoyed, moving over to the back wall to retrieve a small, white tin container with a red cross painted on it. He opened the medical kit, retrieving a canister of bio foam, thread, and a needle. Wolf removed his shirt as Leon peered at the dark red seeping out into Wolf's thick gray fur.  
"I've got the bio foam." Leon said as he readied the canister. The scarred wolf picked up his discarded shirt, rolled it into a ball around his fist, and placed his teeth around it. He knew all too well what was coming next. There was a quiet hissing sound as the white puffy fluid entered the gash in his back. Wolf grunted, teeth biting into the fabric around his hand. His snout scrunching up into a pained grimace as the foam sizzled within the wound. Max heard the pained noise and leaned to the side to see Leon slowly preparing to stitch up Wolf's wound. His blue eyes looking over at the side of Wolf's face as he grimaced with each slow pull of the needle through his skin and fur. Max sat back into his seat, questions and fears swirling in his head. Was Wolf gonna be okay? Was _he _going to be okay? Who was this creepy lizard guy they were flying with? Did his dad know they were doing this? Did his mom worry about him? The adolescent wolf was terrified. He curled up in the uncomfortable upright seat, closing his eyes and trying to sleep, trying to use the cover of darkness his eyelids provided to drown out the thoughts of fear and uncertainty this little adventure had given him.

Wolf sighed as Leon began wrapping gauze around Wolf's chest. The worst of his bleeding had stopped. His back still stung like it had barbed wire stuffed inside of him. He pulled his shirt down and straightened the craft back out. He glanced back to see Max curled up in his seat as comfortably as he could manage. Leon sat back in his seat, gazing bored at the stars all around.  
"That Fenris' kid?" Leon asked. Wolf nodded. "Looks scrawny enough to be." The lizard reasoned dryly. Wolf smirked.  
"Kid's durable. Almost got shot today. Fuckin' kid listens to Damage Panzer too; can you believe that?"

"Found a kindred angry canine to invite to the club of 'privileged angry canines'?" Leon chortled. The band had a stigma about it, one that didn't apply to Wolf, but absolutely applied to Max.

"I guess so." He confirmed with a chuckle. "He's a good kid though. Hates Fenris almost as much as I do." Leon pulled up his shimmering silver blade, leering at his reflection at the mention of that wretched heap of fur-bearing filth.

"I should've slit his throat while he was napping on guard back on Fortuna…" The lizard hissed menacingly. Wolf's eyes narrowed.

"I wouldn't have blamed you. Hell, in court martial, I would've testified it was self-defense. Anyone under either of us would've done the same as you."

Leon frowned, disappointedly.

"But no one did…"

Wolf glanced to the side.

"I guess not." He looked back, seeing the fur on Max bristle as he shivered in the cold, cramped escape pod. Wolf's looked over at his discarded coat and got up out of his seat, moving to pick up his coat, slowly laying it over Max's thin body. The adolescent lupine stopped shivering and breathed slowly as he drifted asleep. Wolf looked down at the poor kid.

_It'll be over before you know it, kid. Trust me._ He thought, half wanting to reassure Max, but after all they'd been through on this day alone, Wolf was reassuring himself as well at this point. Leon glanced back as Wolf stood over the younger lupine, his beady eyes glancing quickly between them, only for him to shake his head and turn back to focus on flying straight. Wolf made his way back to his seat and plopped down exhaustedly with a loud exhale.

"You look dead tired, Wolf. Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there." Wolf nodded, attempting to recline his seat, only for it to spring back upright. He shook his head, slouching back and crossing his arms before closing his eyes.

_You'll be alright, kid… I hope._


End file.
